Two Jokers Double-Wit - Boulevard Brewing Co.

steve8robin

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I love Saison Brett. This is the second brew I will try from this brewery. Pint bottle. Batch 1 2010 04/2011...

A: Very light golden honey color that carbonated continuously bringing bubble to the top. A nice 1 inch white head that slowly fades. Good.

S: This smells very interesting. I get some fruity bubble gum blended with some heavy spices. Some cinnamon in the middle with some pineapple on the backend. Good.

T: See, this is what I liked about Saison Brett. I'm not a fan of a beer being sour just to be sour. This beer has an awesome refreshing tartness, but not stupid sour. Starts with some spices blended with some honey followed by some carbonated banana. Good.

M: A hint too carbonated for my taste, but still good.

D: Goes down very easy.

All in all, this is the second brew from Boulevard that I've tried second to Saison Brett. This one definitely is a very solid brew and does not disappoint. This is not in the same category as Saison Brett, but it definitely does not fall far under. Try if you like banana bready tart beers. I'd say you should give one at least a try once. Great brew.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2010 03:30:29 | More by steve8robin

EchoCharlieEcho

Illinois

4.45/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Split this with my boyfriend which was good because it took both of us to get the cork out. We compared that cork to one we had from another Smokestack a couple weeks ago. It was much longer - more than can be accounted for from dehydration. If this wasn't a manufacturing defect, prepare for battle.

A: Nearly clear bright orange-ish gold with about 3/4'' foamy head. Moderate retention and lacing.

S: Very aromatic, with strong orange peel and juice, cardamom, coriander, lemon peel, some light funkiness and and a little wheat.

T: The orange is present up front with a kick from lemon peel and funk, then balanced subtly by the wheat malts and some floral notes. The spices come through at the end of each taste. The cardamom dominates but coriander, clove, and pepper are all present. The high ABV is nowhere to be found in the taste.

M: Medium-bodied, high carbonation, dry finish.

D: At 8% this is a little dangerous because it is very well hidden. Really refreshing and flavorful. To be fair, I probably would have scored this higher for drinkability had it not been for the cork. I have calluses from that thing. I will never again look at a corked beer the same way. Yet, I am glad we persevered for this was an excellent beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2010 06:10:42 | More by EchoCharlieEcho

Bitterbill

Wyoming

4.47/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle, batch 12010, best by 04/2011.

Lightly chilled, the cork was a pain, as usual. Thanks to my BA opener, I was able to wedge it out enough so I could pull it out with my hand. A good pop ensued.

Lots of foam in the pour, the beer is a slightly hazy light gold colour. The foam is shrinking very slowly leaving some good lacing.

It has a very nice nose. Lots of wheat, some funky notes, soicy and fruity. Vary varied and like I said, very nice.

The taste = the smell. Wheat, spice(mostly coriander but others as well), a bit of pepper, some lemon and oranges, and some honey like sweetness. Yummy! And...8%abv? Really? Hidden SO damn well.

A silky smooth mouthfeel and this beer has me hoked on its line.

Drinkability? A very impressive Wit indeed and it's way too drinkable given the alcohol content. This is super good!

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2010 01:43:36 | More by Bitterbill

hayalex6

Texas

4.45/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Smell: There's a slight funk in the nose at first, but then the spices come through, then the citrus, and the Belgian yeast.

Appearance: Pours a great yellow-amber color, with an initial head of about 1/2" into my goblet--thinning down to a very thin layer of foam along the top. Little to no lacing is apparent.

Taste: First thing to hit on the palette is the citrus--lemon, and oranges. Then the cardamom and coriander come through and help even things out. Finally the Belgian yeast swings in to make it all smooth.

Mouthfeel: Great small champagne bubbles give this a great crisp and clean mouthfeel.

Drinkability: This one could be dangerous. There is no obvious presence of the alcohol, and it has such a great finish that one could drink this all night.

Overall impressions: Boulevard's Smokestack series hits another homerun with this beer. Their special releases always seem to be "A" worthy.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2010 23:05:46 | More by hayalex6

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Acquired from davey, courtesy of the Local Goods 3 BIF so a big "Thank You" goes out to him. Poured from a 750ml bottle into an imperial pint glass.

A: The beer is a bright gold color, with a large white head that fades quickly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of Belgian yeast, esters, wheat, citrus and some spices.

T: The taste starts out spicy with flavors of cloves and pepper. Then some fruity flavors of lemon & orange come in followed by mild breadiness from Belgian yeast and a hearty but not too heavy malt character, which provide a decent balance. The after-taste is slightly spicy and slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, good kick, good representation of style, this is a good beer to drink for a while.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2010 03:55:33 | More by TheManiacalOne

kcjester

Kansas

3.5/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into glass and had very good head. Light coppery color. The smell has fruity distinctions, specifically pear and apricot. Beer is highly carbonated and is very fruity. The bitterness is acidic probably from orange peel and as mentioned on the label a lactic fermentation. No real flavor or smell of hops noted. No distinct flavor of sweetness or malt noted. I wish there would have been more flavor/spice from corriander or malt sweetness to balance the bitter fruit. Drinkability is good and beer has slight warming character. Overall not a bad beer but lacks some characteristics that I enjoy in Belgian Wits.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2010 19:15:05 | More by kcjester

BrewsBrother

Colorado

3.18/5  rDev -20.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured in a tulip class from 750mL bottle.

A: pours a light orange to straw color with a nice head quickly settling patchy lace.

S: Citrus and spice at first, but a swirl reveals almost a pear or apricot kind of sweetness.

T: Zest. Bright lemon and orange zest. Crisp and fruity yet tart and tangy.

M: tight carbonation and malty body but lacking some for the whites that I have experienced and would compare it to.

D: Not one that I would finish the entire bottle, but definitely would share it with friends on a hot Oklahoma summer day.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2010 09:37:20 | More by BrewsBrother

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A bottle I shared with the Central New England BA Meetup thanks to COBeerBuff.

A: Pasty white fizzy head fades quickly with a semi hazy golden orange wheat color.

N: Very light, a little wheat, grassy, some lemon light summer spices, slight fruit, coriander, zest, etc.

T: Thicker malty, wheat, summer spices, fruit, lemon zest, weird peach like flavors, but not really peach, its just weird like that, spices, very well balanced, no really booze either. A little creamy flavors and juicy fruits. Tasty.

M: Lots of carbonation with a lighter body and a little creamy.

F: Dry, the spice flavors linger, with lots of citrus fruit zest, fruit flavors, Belgian malts and yeast, lemon, spices galore, and a slight creamy and juicy.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2010 04:21:03 | More by jlindros

htomsirveaux

Texas

3.88/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

750 mL bottle tried 4 Jul 2009.

Served in the 0.4 L Steiner Pils snifter. Very thick tight creamy head. Cloudy golden honey color. Tart yeasty lemon zest and coriander aroma. Taste is quite lemony, juicy. Citrus present throughout with a sweet caramel balance. Finish and aftertaste are tart but not puckering. Light peppery bite in the aftertaste. Medium body. Ethanol hidden until the end.

Cork was almost impossible to get out of the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2010 19:08:55 | More by htomsirveaux

AlCaponeJunior

Texas

4.18/5  rDev +4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Batch 2-2009

Pours a foggy, cloudy orange with a fair, jet white head and some no lacing. It's not all that to look at.

Smell is a strongly fruity and spicy yeast aroma with touches of wheat or grain, good to the nose. Strangely, the smell kind of reminds me of pristine river rapids in summertime.

The taste is complex and surprisingly good. You can't taste the alcohol, but you get a very strong orangy/fruity flavor, with ample spicy, peppery, sweet, yeasty flavors. A little bit of citrus peeks through. I like the spice balance, well done.

Mouthfeel is medium and slick with ample carbonation, lingering flavors on the top and tip of the tongue.

Drinkability iis pretty high. I might even kill two 750ml bottles in a session. One of my favorite witbiers.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2010 18:50:12 | More by AlCaponeJunior

beertunes

Washington

3.9/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Bottle from batch 2-2009. Poured into 16oz balloon. Poured a very pretty orange/yellow color with about an inch of white head that dissipated quickly and left just traces of lacing.

The aroma was a very nice blend of spice, yeast, fruit and grain. The sharp spicyness that hits the nose first quickly melds with the grain and the various other scents play their supporting roles well. On the tongue, everything that was on the nose is amplified, bigger, bolder, stronger, more. A very tasty treat.

The body was a bit different than typical, a touch more syrupy and thicker. Still nice but not what I'm really looking for in a Wit. Drinkability was very good, despite the thickness. I can see drinking several of these during the upcoming summer, as Wits are my favorite summer style.

Overall, a very nice beer, certainly worth your time.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2010 21:17:30 | More by beertunes

jera1350

Minnesota

3.88/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a chalice, the beer is has a slight haze and is golden in color. The head is ever so tight and creamy and leaves spots of lacing.

Picking up some wheat in the nose along with a generous amount of fruit. Orange, peach, lemon zest and notes of spice with coriander among them.

Has a very belgian flavor to it. The wheat is there, belgian yeast, fruity sweetness with orange peel for a citrus spike along with spices. A peppery aftertaste. The alcohol is slightly noticeable as well. Pretty nice complexity going on that keeps the palate guessing.

Around a medium body with lightly fizzy carbonation that is very tiny feeling, yet isn't quite creamy or smooth. Slight puckering effect that finishes extremely dry.

A very nice beer that drinks decently. This definitely drinks more like a triple or a quad more so than a wit.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2010 00:40:58 | More by jera1350

ktrillionaire

Florida

4.13/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to Beertracker for this one

A - Beautiful orange-golden hue, billowing white crown of foam, scant lace.

S - Wheat sweetness, honey-butterscotch, and generally spicy and saucy aromas are the mainstay.

T - The flavor is hard to pin down, mostly crisp and refreshing, lightly tart and spicy. The ABV is well-hidden. Wheat flavor is restrained to the grainy aspects, and is not overly estery.

M - Lighter-bodied, yet big and refreshing, with a dry finish.

D - Here in Florida, we NEED beer like this. Super-refreshing, and still very substantial. Boulevard strikes again.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2010 01:41:59 | More by ktrillionaire

CrellMoset

Virginia

4.03/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 mL corked and caged bottle courtesy of RedHaze - thanks!! Poured in to a cervoise.

Appearance: Pours a hazy, nearly opaque goldenrod, a honey mustard gamboge capped by one finger of fine eggshell head. The hue is dirty, muddy, a huge suggestive perhaps of its flavors and aromatics, appropriate but not necessarily that sort crisp, bright, beauty you want from a witbier. The head, however, is fantastic. Dense but fluffy, rocky but ethereal, the crown of mother-of-pearl cream has great retention, consistently replenished by slow carbonation that's barely visible through the morass that is this beer's interior. The lacing is one part glittery runs and one part clingy stick, and the end result is probably above average for this style and this this abv%.

Aroma: Freshly juiced oranges, pulpy and slightly sweet. A really earthy spice undertone, with definite tingly and aromatic hints of grains of paradise and stronger cardamom tweak and pull at the olfactory senses. All faintly sweet but largely dry, the dryness enhanced by the spicy earthiness.

Taste: Huge cardamom and cloves are my first impression, wrapped in a honey orange kiss. First, the malt base is obviously simple, and obviously on the sweet side, but it's actually not nearly as sweet (on the whole) as many doublewits and even wits are. There are plenty of well attenuated sugars here, like dry honey, graham cracker-esque, complemented by the spices. So, let's talk about the spices. I get tons of cardamom and cloves, faint cinnamon-esque notes, and though I know I should be getting grains of paradise, they seem to get lost in the muddle here than they did in the nose. The citrus notes - the curacao orange peel in particular, though also some faint lemon, passion fruit - are prevalent, mixing with the tartness (not sourness) of the fermentation to give a nice citrus kick with just a faint amount of acidity. Pretty solid, if a little busy.

Mouthfeel: Not sticky or cloying at all, largely by virtue of its dryness relative to many of its double wit cousins. There's definite effervescence, almost too much for a beer this dry, as there's no natural "thickness" beyond the necessary volume of this much attenuated sugar to contain the crispness, but it's not really too terrible distracting.

Drinkability: 8.0%. Yep. I'm feelin' it. But it's not too noticeable or in your face, despite the lack of sweetness to cover up (maybe it's hidden in the spice). This one's a step above most of the double wits I've had - most tend to be sickly sweet, or overly spiced, or spiced in an inauthentic way. This one keeps the yeast notes at bay, and augment them with authentic earthy spices and overtones, and has a dry enough malt backbone that nothing's cloying or overpowering. Indeed, it's one of the better examples of the style I've had the pleasure of drinking. Recommended, and an exemplary standout if BA ever gives the "doublewit" it's own style.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2010 04:48:44 | More by CrellMoset

Mora2000

Texas

4/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a hazy yellow-orange color with a white head. The aroma is loads of orange peel and coriander. The flavor is lemons, oranges, spicy hops and a lot of coriander. Some alcohol is present in the flavor as well. Very soft, medium mouthfeel and medium-high carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2010 04:31:05 | More by Mora2000

Parrotbeak

Minnesota

4.15/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Hazy mustard-orange, with a quarter-inch white head that remains. Good lacing.
The smell very interesting. Belgian yeast is there, surrounded by pepper, and minty fruit(s). After reading about cardamom, I am thinking the minty aspect comes from this. Orange and lemon, which I presume comes from the coriander. The malts can be discerned underneith it all.
Taste is peppery Belgian yeast, with a mix of tart, spicey fruits (orange, lemon, banana, and apricot, amidst perhaps others). The malts again are detectable beneath it all with an active search.
Mouthfeel is crisp with a fairly dry finish. Nice bite comes in halfway through. Medium-light body.
Drinkability is good. The alcohol is almost completely undetectable in the smell or taste.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2010 23:50:23 | More by Parrotbeak

kjyost

Manitoba (Canada)

3.63/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Purchased n Minneapolis in Feb/2010 @ Surdyk's. Batch No 1-2009

Poured a cloudy yellow with average head and no lacing. The aroma was spicy, with pepper,and light fruit,mainly citrus. The taste was spicy overtop a light maltiness. Some sweetness was evident and pepper was evident. A citrusy fruit was evident in the finish. Strong carbonation in the mouthfeel,which enhanced the wit flavours. Spiciness was a bit too strong to make this a very drinkable beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2010 04:04:18 | More by kjyost

BeanBone

Texas

3.78/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: A thoroughly hazy golden-amber body capped by a massive mountain of whitish head that leaves patchy lacing.

Aroma: A mix of sweet cereal grain malt, non-descript spices, apricot, citrus, and something that's menthol-like (in a good way).

Flavor: A strong base of bready wheat-like malt, some slightly sour qualities, spices, and some very mild hops. The citrusy menthol-like element returns, and again, is a pleasant addition. Not much sign of the eight percent booze to be found.

Mouthfeel: A smooth medium body with medium-light carbonation and some bare hints of burn from the alcohol.

Drinkability: This drinks much faster than an eight percent brew, so watch yourself.

Verdict: Kind of a wild card, think of Two Jokers as a strong Witbier with some slightly sour and menthol notes. I expected another boozy and bland "double Wit," but found something a little more interesting.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2010 01:49:06 | More by BeanBone

twiggamortis420

Texas

2.95/5  rDev -26.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

750 mL bottle pours a hazy dark gold color with a huge cap of off-white, large-bubbled foam. Decent retention and lacing. Pretty good looking beer, love the label as well.

Nose is heavy on the wheat and coriander with a fair dose of orange peel. Some Belgian yeasty aromas come through as well as a hint of citric hop.

Taste is lemony wheat and coriander driven. Pithy, bitter citrus peel along with a hearty helping of alcohol. For me, the wit is a style that need not be imperialized, so that factors into my low rating for this beer. Not to mention there is no way in hell I could finish a whole 750 by myself. Belgian yeasties make their presence felt near the end, but it is not enough to change my feelings about the beer. I was barely able to choke down my half of the bottle. I enjoyed the Sam Adams and Southampton versions much better. Definitely my least favorite Boulevard offering, usually love their stuff.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2010 21:13:15 | More by twiggamortis420

Monkeyknife

Missouri

3.53/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the bottle a hazy orange color with a fast-fading white head.

Aroma of corriander, orange peel, wheat, and cloves.

The taste had a hearty mentholated cough drop note that overpowered all else and was hard to ignore. Behind that was orange peel, malt and spice. Finish is on the tart side.

Medium bodied and dry with a bright carbonation.

To me, the mentholated cough drop taste was too much and soured the enjoyment. Not one of my favorites from Boulevard.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2010 21:10:26 | More by Monkeyknife

jampics2

Ohio

4.2/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The second beer in our "Super Boulevard Beer Tasting" for the Saints world championship victory!

Looks great - like an orange cloudy slice of bliss. Little head but very appealing.

Smells of spices (corriander, cloves, grains of paradise) and some citrus. Orange is apparent, but there is some lemon and grape skin as well.

Taste is wonderful. Wow! This ended up being a huge hit with our friends and was one of the favorites of the Smokestack line. A great wheat base sets the stage for orange, corriander and spices, and a wonderful lactic zing. Awesome stuff!! Not hot but strong.

Heavy carb makes up for the amost syrupy viscosity. If anything, the mouth is this beer's downfall, but I don't know how you'd do a double wit with all the flavors and not run into this issue.

Good beer, one I'm glad to have toasted with as the Super Bowl started.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2010 19:42:27 | More by jampics2

alleykatking

Indiana

4.22/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from corked and caged bottle.

A- Pours a nice hazy golden yellow color. Nice two finger white head stays around for a little while before dying down. Leaves nice lacing around the rim of the glass. Looks good overall!

S- This beer caught me by surprise with all the smells in the aroma. There is a wheaty tone to this that battles it out with spices in the front end. Orange peel, lemon zest, and clove are the biggest in this. Light banana scent to this as well in the middle along with a light bready malt smell in the tail end that gets covered again with spice.

T- This was a nice tasting beer. Nice spices in the front end of this with a almost wheaty taste. Clove and banana dominate in the front and middle...toward the ending there is a light sourness to it that I very much enjoy. the orange peel flavor comes through a little more as the beer warms up.

M- Medium heavy mouthfeel. Carbonation was a little more than I would have liked but didn't make it or break it in the mouthfeel. Cloves and banana are left on the palate long after the beer is gone. Aftertaste has a little more malt in the mix. Crisp tasting almost the entire time.

D- This was a interesting beer that I had a couple glasses of. Good beer to try although I could see a lot of people really liking this then I wouldn't be able to get any...

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2010 22:35:59 | More by alleykatking

hwwty4

Missouri

4.2/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured a corked and caged 750ml into my Tripel Karmeliet tulip. This beer pours a golden, hazy wheat with a big, fluffy, off white head that leaves no lacing as the beer recedes. This beer has some crazy head retention. There seems to be always an inch high hat sitting on top of my beer. The aroma is interesting. The first aroma that hits me is a slight lactic sourness that's backed up by some serious spicing. Cardamom, lemon zest, orange peel, clove all make an appearance. Also over ripe bananas and just a little bit of toast from the pale malts. The flavor is just as interesting. Its extremely spiced. Grains of paradise, cardamom, a bit of dried flowers, and clove all mashed together with some lemon peel. Also a slight toastiness to it. Unfortunately the slight sourness that comes out in the nose is completely lost on the flavor profile. I wish the Boulevard team would have sour mashed it a bit longer. The mouthfeel is full and creamy. I have to admit that I completely disliked this beer when it first came out, but it turns into a pretty easy drinking Wit. A lot of the sweetness died down which makes it easier to drink.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2010 01:30:04 | More by hwwty4

bret27

California

4/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Courtesy of Diomede

S: Coriander, orange peel apparent, spicy, esters

A: Hazy golden yellow. Decent head and lacing

T: Citrus, multiple spices. Dry tart finish w/a little alcohol heat.

M/D: Smooth and silky. Smoothness I think related to wheat. Dry tartness but a little over-carbonated. This category could potentially be a 5 if this was corrected.

Overall: looking back I gave it 4's all around. Which means good. But the least fav of the Blvd smokestack beers I've had.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2010 05:44:46 | More by bret27

illidurit

California

3.78/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle courtesy Diomede. Pours a hazy gold color with a big off-white head. Aroma heavy on spices with some apple/orange/banana esters and a bright coriander note. Fruity flavor with the same ester profile, a little tart, coriander and orange peel are apparent. Body is pretty full, carbonation is medium. Sweet but not too sweet.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2010 22:12:05 | More by illidurit